FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, DC – The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) awarded the Alliance to Save Energy’s EmPowered Schools Initiative the 2025 Luminary Award in Pursuing Energy Equity Award yesterday.

EmPowered Schools educates students about energy efficiency through a project-based curriculum while saving energy in schools and building pathways to green jobs.  At its heart, EmPowered Schools turns classrooms into living laboratories where curiosity meets action and students discover that energy efficiency isn’t an abstract concept but something they can measure, influence and improve.

“EmPowered Schools connects local utilities and organizations committed to energy access with the schools at the heart of their communities,” said Paula Glover, president of the Alliance to Save Energy. “It demonstrates the importance of affordability, real-world learning, and community engagement, inspiring students to become the energy problem-solvers of tomorrow. We are grateful for SEEA’s recognition which affirms the program’s growing impact, and we look forward to bringing this model to even more communities across the country.”

This past year alone, the program reached nearly 200,000 students through schoolwide campaigns that brought energy literacy to life in communities across the country. An estimated 10,000 students gained hands-on experience conducting lighting, HVAC and appliance audits in their own school buildings, practical training that builds confidence, skills, and a deep understanding of how energy efficiency works in the real world.

“EmPowered Schools’ commitment to an inclusive decision-making process and ensuring the equitable distribution of benefits—such as greater access to efficient energy technologies—makes it a true Luminary in our industry,” SEEA said.

For Alliance members, this recognition reinforces a shared belief: when young people understand how energy shapes their environment, they’re empowered to imagine and build a more efficient future. And when they do, the broader policy, workforce, and market outcomes we pursue become more achievable.

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE TO SAVE ENERGY

The Alliance to Save Energy is a leading nonprofit, bipartisan coalition of manufacturers, utilities, technology companies, environmental advocates, and governmental leaders who are committed to advancing the role of energy efficiency in U.S. energy policy, and valuing its contribution to energy affordability, grid reliability, emissions reductions, and energy security.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Dan Whitten | dwhitten@ase.org